COLONEL:
I herewith submit a report of the operations of the Fourth
Division, Fourteenth Corps, in the battle of Chickamauga
Creek, Ga., September 19 and 20, 1863.
The division moved
from Pond Spring about 4 p.m. on the 18th, and, having
marched all night, halted one hour for breakfast near
Osburn's, and thence proceeded, by order of General Thomas,
commanding Fourteenth Corps, to take position in line of
battle northeast of Glenn's house. While taking this position
the division was ordered to advance immediately toward
McDonald's and enter into the action then progressing on our
left. I at once reported in person to the corps commander,
and, in accordance with his instructions, directed the Third
Brigade, Turchin's, to take position southeast of Kelly's
Cross-Roads. The Second Brigade, King's, was about leaving
the main road to take place on the right of the Third, when I
met General Palmer in the road, who represented that his
command had gained upon the enemy, but was nearly out of
ammunition and in great need of assistance to enable him to
hold what he had gained, at least until they could replenish
ammunition. This, although not the precise position indicated
to me for the Second Brigade, was very close to it, and
appeared to be a place that it was essential to fill at once,
and no other troops were in sight to take the position. Three
regiments, under Col. E. A. King, were therefore ordered in
at this point, leaving in my hands one regiment,
Seventy-fifth Indiana, and Harris battery. I had just arrived
upon the field and found my division would occupy about the
center of our line. No reserve force being anywhere apparent,
I determined to form one of Harris' battery and Seventy-fifth
Indiana, to which was shortly added Swallow's battery, which
I found in the road unemployed, and the Ninety-second
Illinois (temporarily dismounted). In a short time the Sixth
Ohio came from the front, and took position near Harris'
battery to resupply ammunition. General Palmer soon called
also for the Seventy-fifth Indiana, temporarily; it was
ordered to go, the Sixth Ohio serving in the interim as
support to the guns. The Sixth having resupplied ammunition
was subsequently ordered away, leaving the Ninety-second
Illinois the only support for the batteries. The
Seventy-fifth Indiana returned late in the day slid in some
disorder, having relieved an entire brigade and done
efficient service.
Calls for support
had been made from the right, to which it was impossible for
me to respond. General J. C. Davis arrived and inquired where
troops were needed. I gave him the substance of my
information, and he led his division in on our right. Finally
a call came direct from Col. E. A. King, who had drifted
farther to the right, that he was hard pressed and wanted his
own regiment, the Seventy-fifth Indiana. This regiment was
gone, but I ordered to him the Ninety-second Illinois,
trusting to regiments returning to the road to resupply
ammunition for support to the batteries, or, that in case the
forces to the front were driven back, of which I felt there
was danger, I might rally them around the batteries and
re-establish the line. The two howitzers of the Ninety-second
Illinois were now added to the two batteries, and the
Ninety-second started to King's support. Scarcely had it
cleared the front of the guns when this regiment was struck
in flank by our own forces retiring, followed closely by the
enemy. I met our retiring regiments in person, pointed them
to 14 guns in position as evidence that the enemy must be
thrown back, and by great exertion succeeded in reforming
several regiments in rear of the batteries.
Battery M,
Fourth Regular Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Russell, at
this time came to our position, and was ordered into action
on Harris' left. These batteries fired with terrible effect
upon the enemy, his progress was checked, and our line for a
time prevented from yielding any farther.
The enemy now
shifted farther to the right, where there was evidently an
opening in our line, and coming in on their right flank our
regiments again became disheartened and began to retire. The
batteries, following the regiments, changed front and fired
to the right, and the line was reformed along a fence nearly
perpendicular to its former position, with the batteries in
the edge of the woods. The enemy pushing still farther to our
right and rear, I rallied and formed into double line some
ten or twelve other retiring regiments, which came in from
the left center, and placing-the front line under the
immediate command of Colonel Croxton, Tenth Kentucky, ordered
them to swing round on the left flank as a pivot. This order
was well executed by both lines, and our rear thus entirely
cleared of the enemy.
It was now nearly
sundown, and operations on this part of the field ceased for
the day.
On the 20th my
division was posted at Kelly's Cross-Roads
en échelon, the Third Brigade,
Turchin's, in front and immediately on General Palmer's
right, the Second Brigade, King's, slightly retired, to
secure good ground, and facing the main Rossville and La
Fayette road. Two brigades of the Third Division, Fourteenth
Corps, Brannan's, were on my right. My division was formed in
two lines, nearly one-half the infantry being in reserve.
During the early
morning of the 20th temporary breastworks were erected of
such material as could be found at hand, and were of great
benefit. The attack of the enemy on our position commenced
about 10 o'clock, and was very heavy; he was successfully
repulsed at all points in front of our position without
calling upon the second line of infantry.
About 11 o'clock
the two brigades of the Third Division, being heavily pressed
in front and right flank, which had been left uncovered,
began to yield. Colonel Croxton reported this to me, and
personal inspection verified the report. The One hundred and
fifth Ohio, Major Perkins commanding, and until this time
lying in reserve, was ordered to face the enemy and go at
them with the bayonet. The order was gallantly executed; the
enemy was thrown back, and the yielding regiments partly
rallied, but the enemy returning with increased force and
turning their right, these regiments were borne back, the One
hundred and fifth Ohio with them. The latter regiment carried
off the field the rebel General Adams, wounded, who had been
previously captured by Captain Guthrie's company, of the
Nineteenth Illinois.
After all of our
troops had left the right of my division, and the enemy was
silenced in front, a column of the enemy appeared on the main
road in the prolongation of the line of battle of the Second
Brigade; at the same time a rebel battery was firing into the
rear of this brigade. The position of the Second Brigade was
therefore changed, so as to throw its left nearer the right
of the Third Brigade and to face the enemy, who had taken
position on our right and rear. At this time the division was
out of ammunition, except such as was gathered from the boxes
of the dead, and the enemy was between us and our ammunition
train; but for this circumstance we could have maintained our
position indefinitely. The ammunition train by another route
got safely to Chattanooga.
We remained in this
position for some time, when orders were received from the
corps commander to prepare to change our position, and the
division in a short time received orders to initiate a
movement toward Rossville. This was done with the brigades
still formed in two lines and moving by flank in parallel
columns, thus ready at a moment's notice to face with double
line in either of the directions in which firing had lately
been heard.
Arriving at the
Rossville road, the command was met by the corps commander in
person, and I was directed to form line perpendicular to the
Rossville road. This done General Thomas pointed in the
direction of Rossville and said, "There they are; clear
them out." The division was faced about and a charge
ordered and executed in two lines at double-quick, through
the rebel lines, dispersing them and capturing more than 200
prisoners under a fire of infantry in front and artillery in
flank.
I understood that
this movement was intended to open the way to Rossville for
the army, and did not then know of any other road to that
point. I therefore pressed right on in the charge, expecting
the whole division to do the same until the rebel lines and
batteries were cleared and the road opened, and found myself
with only about 150 of the Third Brigade, under Colonel Lane,
Eleventh Ohio, near the field hospital of the Fourteenth
Corps.
The remainder of
the division proceeded to the high ground on the left by
order of General Thomas. The Third Brigade was reformed by
Brigadier-General Turchin, who had his horse shot under him
in the charge. The Second Brigade was reformed by Col. M. S.
Robinson, who succeeded to the command of that brigade after
the death of Col. E. A. King. The advanced party rejoined the
division on the ridge to the west of the road, and the whole
division marched to Rossville by the Valley road.
The First Brigade,
Wilder s mounted infantry, was detached from the division by
order of the department commander, except the Ninety-second
Illinois, which was with the division on the 19th. The
operations of this brigade will be reported separately.
The brigade
commanders, Brig. Gen. J. B. Turchin and Col. E. A. King,
handled their brigades with skill and judgment, and no
instance of confusion or disorder occurred.
The
batteries, Harris', Nineteenth Indiana, and Andrew's,
Twenty-first Indiana, were skillfully and bravely managed,
and did fine execution, the Nineteenth Battery on both days
and the Twenty-first Battery more especially on the 20th.
Captain Harris was wounded on the 19th; his battery was ably
commanded on the 20th by Lieutenant Lackey. This battery lost
two guns, one left on the field, the horses killed; the other
disabled by the enemy's fire.
Andrew's battery
lost one gun, left from the breaking of the harness.
The untimely fall
of Colonel King renders it impracticable to obtain a
connected report of the operations of the Second Brigade.
The regiments were
ably commanded as follows: One hundred and first Indiana,
Lieutenant-Colonel Doan; Seventy-fifth Indiana, Colonel
Robinson; Sixty-eighth Indiana, Captain Espy, wounded; One
hundred and fifth Ohio, Major Perkins, wounded.
The division staff
were at their posts and discharged their duties promptly and
faithfully.
Maj. John Levering,
assistant adjutant-general, sick in ambulance.
Maj. O. Q. Herrick,
medical director, in the hands of the enemy.
Capt. F. T.
Starkweather, assistant quartermaster; Capt. J. L. Leech,
commissary of subsistence; Capt. C. O. Howard, mustering
officer, aide-de-camp, wounded in hand; Capt. J. T. Floyd,
One hundred and first Indiana, aide-de-camp; Capt. R. B.
Hanna, Seventy-second Indiana, provost-marshal, wounded;
First Lieut. J. W. Armstrong, Seventeenth Indiana, ordnance
officer; Second Lieut. W. P. Bainbridge, One hundred and
first Indiana, aide-de-camp, wounded in arm; Sergt. Daniel
Bush, Company D, One hundred and first Indiana, orderly at
headquarters, was badly wounded and has since died.
Among the deaths
the country has to deplore the loss of Col. E. A. King,
commanding Second Brigade, and Col. W. G. Jones, commanding
Thirty-sixth Ohio, both superior officers.
Herewith are
submitted lists of casualties, from which it appears that the
total loss of the division in killed, wounded, and missing is
963.